Can I Hold Your Hand?

The boy is squirming like an earthworm fresh out of the ground, but that does little to dampen the pale, elder boy's determination. With a vice-like grip on the boy's wrist, Yoongi pulls Jimin harder away.

"No!" yells Jimin, his chubby cheeks bouncing as he restlessly tries to escape. His school bag, which he had thrown on the ground in spite, is now held in Yoongi's hands.

"Come on already." Yoongi drawls out in the most bored voice he can burr out. Dipping his hand down, he takes Jimin's in his own and pulls him away. Further away from school gates, from which teachers and watchmen are watching with an amused smile.

"Hyuuuuuung!" Jimin whines as they continue to walk down the sidewalk towards their homes. He is holding onto an ice lolly that Yoongi, no doubt, bought him along the way to make him stop resisting. Of course being the seven year old with small, chubby fingers, Jimin proceeds to make a mess, but the elder merely ignores that.

Yoongi watches the red liquid of the melted lolly drip down Jimin's chins and looks away as he holds the boy's hand tighter, turning the curb.

"Please stop talking while you're eating the lolly, Jimin-ah" says the elder. They have to cross the signal now so Yoongi pushes Jimin behind him and makes sure their hands are clasped tight together, and that the boy's tiny body is pressed against the back of his own. Soon as the green light blinks, Yoongi marches down the crossroads, pulling Jimin speedily with him, ignoring his cries to go slower because the icy treat might fall.

Having crossed the road, his icy snack all eaten, Jimin starts fidgeting again, asking to be released off the grasp on his wrist. "Hyuuuuung. We're on the sidewalk now. Let go pleeeeeeease!" The boy makes sure to use his life's worth of aegyo. As cutesy body rolls and duck faces.

But of course, Yoongi is immune to the aegyo king's horror and only grips tighter onto Jimin hand as they near their houses.

Ever since Jimin entered the elementary school that Yoongi goes to, it has been engraved into Yoongi's schedule to race down to Jimin's side of the school all the way from his, that's on the other side of the building, and wait for the boy's class to end. From then on the boy proceeds to take the younger boy's hand into his own and walk him back home. Just like his Auntie Park had asked him to.

Jimin's routine includes struggling in an attempt to make Yoongi let go of his hands, because, "I'm a big boy Hyung! I can walk on my own! You don't need to hold my hand!"

Of course Yoongi ignores him every day, buying him treats on the way to humor him instead.

ooooo

Jimin bids Taehyung, his friend from the vocal training class, a goodbye and closes his eyes in a silent prayer that today would be a little different as he turns around. Of course today is no different than any other because Yoongi is there outside his lecture room, waiting with an ice-cream cone in hand.

It's been five years and Jimin is in the last year of his middle school, entering high school in fall, but Yoongi insists that he escorts the boy home every day. Even though they are in different schools now, because Jimin's school only teaches till middle school.

"Hyung." Jimin bites embarrassed as his classmates stop to stare at the scene being played out. All those years and they still think it's funny enough to stand and snicker at the sight. "This is ridiculous" he deadpans.

Jimin walks away with that. Head ducked into the jacket of his school uniform, ignoring Yoongi's cries of "Ya! Jimin-ah! Jimin!"

Hurrying over to the crossing to lose sight of Yoongi, Jimin misses the red sedan heading his way. And if not for Yoongi, Jimin knows he'd be road kill but his teenage angst serves its purpose when he pushes Yoongi off of himself.

"Ya!" is all Yoongi gets out before Jimin turns to leave him again.

Of course Yoongi makes to follow, because there still one more signal to cross and the traffic is at its peak, now that Jimin's timings have changed due to his dance classes.

"Jimin!" Yoongi calls out once again as he sprints towards the boy.

Jimin abruptly turns and screams an angry "what!?" And Yoongi comes to a halt with a jolt as he simply stares at the boy. This is the first time the fifteen year old has raised his voice at the elder. But, Yoongi's shock doesn't stop there, because when Jimin speaks nothing but brutality spills out, "will you stop doing this already!? I'm ing fifteen now!"

And Yoongi doesn't understand. He really doesn't. Because, honestly he's only doing what Auntie Park had asked him to do on the first day Jimin was sent to school. Taking care of Jimin. So he says exactly that, "I don't get it. What's the problem here?"

"The problem is you!" Jimin yells as he throws his bag down in the middle of the street. he grips his hair angrily and points at the elder fiercely, "don't you know how embarrassing it is when you come to walk me home every ing day from school? And to top it all off I have to hold you ing hand.

"Don't ing swear a me you !" is Yoongi's response. He opens his mouth to speak, but Jimin cut's him off again.

"Then stop bloody holding my hands!" He seethes as he screams louder if possible, attracting the eyes of pedestrians and students alike, "my friends think we're gay and it's disgusting!"

Biting his lips to keep his anger at bay Yoongi speaks in a clipped voice, "mind your attitude Park Jimin." He points back at the boy, his cold facade taking over and says, "I'm only doing this for your mother!"

"Well she's dead now so ing stop it already!" is Jimin's reply. And Yoongi is left speechless. They share a glaring match with each other for what feels like too long. And then they part ways.

The next day, when Jimin leaves his class, Yoongi isn't there to accompany him on the walk back to home.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jimin remembers crying under the covers that night.

ooooo

It's Jungkook, Yoongi's brother's, birthday. And of course, Jimin is invited, because their cousins so it only makes sense. It's the first time Yoongi and Jimin interact after the fight six months ago. And nothing is the same anymore, despite nothing changing.

When Yoongi sees Jimin again, he is still all smiles. Joking with the boy and ruffling his hair good naturedly. He asks about school work and his dance classes going well. And reminds Jimin to tell him if there are any bullies around. Yoongi makes sure Jimin get's the biggest piece of strawberry just like he always had and he makes sure to make Jimin feel welcomed.

And try as he might Jimin can't get the fight out of his mind. He feels like there's an apology in order and maybe Yoongi does too. So when Yoongi pulls Jimin away into the corner before they all run off to bed (Jimin i